1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fields of multimedia and communications and, more specifically, to a programmable multimedia controller for home, commercial, professional audio or video, broadcast or film studio, security, automation or other use which is capable of interfacing with, controlling and managing a wide variety of audio, video, telecommunications, data communications and other devices.
2. Background Information
With the ever increasing complexity of electronic devices, simple yet effective device control is becoming increasingly important. While once electronic devices could adequately be controlled with only a handful of analog knobs and switches, modern electronic devices often present users with a vast array of configurable options and parameters, which require complex controls to manipulate and select. In response to users' demands for “convenience,” these controls are often implemented on handheld remote control units, which use infrared (IR), radiofrequency (RF), or other types of signals to interface with the electronic devices being controlled. Yet actual convenience is seldom achieved with conventional remote control units.
Users are typically burdened with having to manipulate a number of separate, device-specific remote control units, each of which typically implements a different control scheme. Thus, to perform even basic functions, a user must have all the required remote control units on hand, and be familiar with how to manipulate each one. Further, the user must understand how their devices are interconnected, so that they may select appropriate inputs for passing signals between the devices. For example, if a user desires to watch a DVD movie with the lights dimmed and a telephone ringer suppressed, he may have to operate three audio/video (A/V) remote control units, one for a DVD player, one for a television, and one for an A/V receiver, as well as a remote control unit for a device controller, such as an X10™ lighting controller, in addition to manipulating a handset of a cordless telephone (in a sense, yet another remote control unit). Each of these remote control units generally operates differently, and the user must transition among several control schemes to perform the desired functions. Further, the user must select the proper inputs for each device, for example so that the video signals from the DVD player will make their way through the A/V receiver for display on the television.
Many of the control schemes commonly employed with remote control units are non-intuitive and difficult to use. Most remote control units are designed with a button-centric paradigm, such that numerous function-specific buttons are crowded into a relatively small space on the face of the remote control unit. The crowded button layout of button-centric remote control units often makes it difficult to select a desired button from the many buttons available, especially in low-light conditions. If a user inadvertently presses the “wrong” button, a device may perform an unwanted action or enter an undesired mode or state. This may confuse or aggravate the user. Further, sometimes a user may be uncertain which button to press in order to activate a desired function. In such a situation, the user may have to decipher abbreviated, often cryptic, legends printed on, or about, the buttons of the remote control unit. As these legends are often only a few characters long, a user may have to refer to a manual to determine what the legends mean, and what functions are associated with each button. In short, many button-centric remote control units are far from intuitive and easy-to-use.
Furthermore, while a variety of so-called “universal” remote control units exist that claim to improve upon the shortcomings of device-specific remote control units, conventional “universal” remote controls generally fall far short of their claims. Typical “universal” remote control units simply map the functionality of the buttons of device-specific remote control units to buttons of the “universal” remote control. The underlying control schemes are generally not altered. So, while the control schemes of the device specific remote control units are all implemented on a single remote control unit, they are not unified or simplified in any way. Further, since conventional “universal” remote control units attempt to control a range of devices, they typically have even more buttons with cryptic legends than device-specific remote controls. Thus, the problems of a button-centric paradigm are aggravated. Also, most “universal” remote control units tend to be far from universal, as they typically do not operate with devices other than audio and video devices. For example, conventional “universal” remote controls do not generally include functionality for controlling telephony devices, data devices, security devices, motor-operated devices, relay-operated devices, Internet access/browser devices, general-purpose computers, handicap assistance devices, and/or other types of devices.
In addition, a variety of high-end touch-panel controllers exist that purport to improve upon device-specific remote control units. For example, Crestron Electronics, Inc. of Rockleigh, N.J. offers a line of high-end touch-panel controllers that are widely available. These touch-panel controllers incorporate central processor units, graphics controllers, I/O interfaces and other complex components similar to those found in portable computers, rendering them complicated and costly to manufacture. Further, such touch-screen controllers generally require extensive custom programming to adapt to particular installations. Thus, their complexity and cost renders them unsuitable for many applications.